Characteristics, utilization and influence of viewpoint articles from the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) – 2009-2020

Background: The Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative
(SORT IT) teaches the practical skills of conducting and publishing
operational research (OR) to influence health policy and/or practice. In
addition to original research articles, viewpoint articles are also
produced and published as secondary outputs of SORT IT courses. We
assessed the characteristics, use and influence of viewpoint articles
derived from all SORT IT courses. Methods: This was a cross-sectional
study involving all published viewpoint articles derived from the SORT IT
courses held between August 2009 and March 2020. Characteristics of these
papers were sourced from the papers themselves and from SORT-IT members
involved in writing the papers. Data on use were sourced from the metrics
provided on the online publishing platforms and from Google Scholar.
Influence on policy and practice was self-assessed by the authors of the
papers and was performed only for papers deemed to be ‘calls for action’.
Results: A total of 41 viewpoint papers were published. Of these, 15 (37%)
were ‘calls for action’. Thirty-one (76%) were published in open-access
journals and the remaining 10 in delayed access journals. In 12 (29%) of
the papers, first authors were from low and middle-income countries
(LMICs). Twenty-two (54%) of the papers included female authors, but only
four (10%) and two (5%) of first and last authors respectively, were
female. Only seven (17%) papers had available data regarding online views
and downloads. The median citation score for the papers was four (IQR
1-9). Of the 15 ‘call for action’ papers, six influenced OR capacity
building, two influenced policy and practice, and three influenced both OR
capacity building within SORT IT and policy and practice. Conclusion:
Viewpoint articles generated during SORT IT courses appear to complement
original OR studies and are valued contributors to the dissemination of OR
practices in LMICs.

背景：结构化运作研究与培训倡议（Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative，SORT IT）旨在教授开展与发表运作研究（operational research，OR）的实操技能，以助力其对卫生政策与临床实践产生影响。除原创研究论文外，视点类论文亦可作为SORT IT课程的二级产出物进行创作与发表。本研究针对所有源自SORT IT课程的视点类论文的特征、使用情况及影响力展开评估。

方法：本研究为横断面研究，纳入2009年8月至2020年3月期间开设的所有SORT IT课程所产出并已发表的视点类论文。论文特征信息来源于论文本身及参与论文撰写的SORT IT项目成员。使用情况数据来源于在线出版平台提供的计量指标及谷歌学术（Google Scholar）。仅针对被归类为"行动呼吁"类的论文，由论文作者自行评估其对卫生政策与临床实践的影响力。

结果：本研究共纳入41篇已发表的视点类论文。其中15篇（37%）属于"行动呼吁"类文章。31篇（76%）发表于开放获取期刊，剩余10篇发表于延迟开放获取期刊。12篇（29%）论文的第一作者来自低收入和中等收入国家（low and middle-income countries，LMICs）。22篇（54%）论文有女性作者参与，但仅4篇（10%）的第一作者为女性，2篇（5%）的末位作者为女性。仅7篇（17%）论文可获取在线浏览量与下载量数据。所有论文的引用中位数为4（四分位距IQR 1~9）。在15篇"行动呼吁"类论文中，6篇对运作研究能力建设产生影响，2篇对卫生政策与临床实践产生影响，另有3篇同时对SORT IT框架内的运作研究能力建设以及卫生政策与临床实践产生影响。

结论：SORT IT课程期间产出的视点类论文可有效补充原创运作研究成果，同时亦是助力低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs）推广运作研究实践的重要贡献者。